Safety lockbox



April 1, 1952 1 A. LEVERETH 2,591,271

SAFETY LOCKBOX Filed Jan. 2e, V1.949

Patented Apr. l, 1952 TED STAT es mit ENT OFFICE SAFETY LOCKBOX Anthony Levereth, Belleyinaw. J.

Application January 26, 194Q,..Serial N o. 72,909

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a boxA or receptacle especially adapted for use in ladies compacts or they maybe v even utilized as cigarette boxes.` The Vboxes are provided with a cover that is hard to `open for one not `fanxiliar with its construction and: metho d of operating the cover to move it to @een .position- In my application` Serial No. 50,980, filed September 24, 1948, I have shown and described certain types of puzzle boxes and my present invention is directed to an improved form for use in .storing powders of" diierent kinds such as talcum, jewelry, money and other articles. It is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide an improved type of box -for `the purposes described which will be easier and-therefore cheaper to manufacture than the `boxes fshownin my prior application;

In lthe ,drawings,`

Figure A1 `is a `top view of thebox showing in rdotted -lines ,the DQSition of the locking slide and the cover ready to open.

Figure 2 is a side ,view of Figurel.

Figure 3 is van end view of the -box with a thumb and finger of ,a user (shown in dotted lines) in position to open the box.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with the lockingslide moved to opening position.

Figure 5 `is a section about on the line 5-5 of Figure 1 but lwith the cover in open position.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the hinge end of the Ybox without the cover, the `hinge Abeing in secand locked position.

Figureis a view similar to AFigure 7 but with the cover inV open position.

F.igure 9 is a perspective view of the cover Vhinge including the pivot pins.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view showing a modied form of locking slide used with the operating member.

Figure 11 is an end view of a modied form of box having two compartments and showing v'the operating member, in unlocking cover position, the dotted lines showing the lock- ?ing position of the knobs onA the operating member.

Figure 12 is a longitudinal view through the form shown in Figure 11 but showing the hinge in elevation as in Figure 7.

In the various views wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts, I is a box or receptacle which can be made of any suitable material either of metal or plastic such as Lucite 2` and when made of plastic the cover and operating member therefor, withits knob, if oneis used, can be made of diierent colors. It is to f lock V'the cover.

- and "I2 of a pivot pin carried by the hinge 6.

After the ends -II and I2 ofthe receptacle pivot pinA are dropped into place in the slots 9 and I0 the pin ends are held in place by Viilling the upper portions of the `slots S' and `I!) with a suitable cement or `by other means if the receptacle I is made of metal. The cover 5 has' a recess" I-3 therein to receive one end of the hinge 6` and further recesses I4I therein to receive the ends of the pin I4. The recesses I4I for the pin I4 should be such as to allow some motion of` the pin `therein so Vthat when `the cover '.i` is moved to open'position (as shown in Figure 8) the lower endl I5 of the cover can pass down over the end of the receptacle I.

The slide 4 (as shown in Figure 5) is attached to the operatingmember I6 by means of aostud `I'I which passes through a slot I8 located' in `the inner plate rof the cover 5. If thefentire box ismade of vplastic material `I prefer `,to'use some corrugations or `what might be termed threads -on lthe -stud' I'I so that it may lbe cemented securely tothe operating member I6 which' vis slidably positioned in what may be termedfthe top plate :I9 of the cover. I prefer to provide .the operating member I6 with aiknob or ,equivalent 20 A`so when the locking slide 4 is moved `to the .position shown in Figure 5 or in the dotted position as shown in 4 Figure 1, the ends :Snare withdrawn from the notches 2. Then the cover may be` pushed longitudinally of the receptacle I to the right looking a-t Fig. '7, since the end of theghinge 6 `carrying the Apin I4, will be moved upwardly around the axis I5', thereby raising .this uend of the cover on the pin ends III and; I2,

3 operated as has been described. Located in the upper part of the cover against the transverse rib 2.1 is a mirror 28 which can be cemented in position.

In place of the fingers 3 on the slide 4 a single finger 29 can be used (as shown in Figure 10) and when this construction is used only one corresponding recess 2 will be required for preventing longitudinal movement of the cover in its closed position. While I prefer to make the hinge 6 of metal 'such as aluminum, it can be made of plastic material but I prefer to use the allmetal construction for the hinge.

In the forms shown in Figures 11 and 12 the entire box is made up of two compartments 3| and 32 with a common bottom 33 as illustrated in Figures 7 and 8. I have shown in Figure 11 that the operating member I6 for the compartment 32 is slidable in one direction while the other operating member is slidable in the opposite direction. It is also true that they may be arranged to slide in the same direction. k

While I have shown the hinge 6 as having two arms substantially at right angles to each other, this angle maybe changed considerably depending on various factors, such as the clearances in the bosses 'l and 8 and recess I3, consequently from what has been said, it -will be readily appreciated that many of the details may be varied without departing from the principles of the invention andthe scope of the appended claims, for example while I have shown the cover as being hinged at the end, it may be hinged at the side, in which case the lock slides 4 or 29 or a modification of them and the co-operating member I6 may be positioned to move lengthwise of the box and when so arranged the member I6 would be preferably much narrower than that shown in Figure 1. This type of lconstruction may be preferred where the box is used for holding cigarettes.

I claim:

1. A safety lock box including a receptacle portion having a bottom, front, rear and side walls and a cover therefor, a hinge joining the cover to the rear wall of the receptacle, a slide carried by the cover and located on its inner surface, an operating member slidably mounted on the outer surface of the cover and having a stud passing through the cover and anchored to the slide, the cover having a slot therein for lateral movement of said stud, interengaging parts carried on the free portion of the cover opposite the hinge and on the inner front wall of the receptacle for latching said receptacle and cover when in closed position, means`located on'a side wall of the receptacle to receive the end of said slideto prevent the cover from longitudinal shifting motion when in closed position, said hinge being generally angular in shape with pins extending laterally from both edges of its opposite ends', While the box and cover each has a recess therein to receive their respective hinge ends and pins -to allow a small rearward and upward movement of the cover to free said interengaging parts .whereby the cover may be movedV on the hinge to its outer surface and extending the length of a dimension of the cover while the operating member is seated in said recess so when it is moved 3. A safety lock box as set forth in claim 1l further defined in that the cover has at least side ribs positioned so as to t within the side walls of the receptacle, when the cover is in closed position and another rib for assisting said slide in its movement, while the space adjacent the slide when the cover is in open position serves as a mounting place for a mirror.

4. A safety lock box as set forth in claim 1 further dened in that the cover is composed of at least two laterally positioned plates of suitable material, one pivot end of the hinge being located in a recess in the inner plate and this inner plate has a slot therein to allow the body of the hinge to pass therethrough, the receptacle having bosses therein to receive the other pivot end of the hinge. K

5. A safety lock box as set forth .in claim 1 further dened in that the cover has at least side ribs positioned so as to fit within the side walls of the receptacle, when the cover is in closed position, the rib on one side acting as a stop for the slide when it is moved to open position.

6. A safety lockbox as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that the hinge is a single unit and concealed within the interior of the box and has two arms formed from a, single piece of suitable metal, the arms extending substantially at right angles to each other and having pivot pins at their ends.

7. A'safety lock box structure including a receptacle having two Ychambers separated by a common bottom, a pair of covers one for each chamber,` each cover having a hinge, a slide, an operating member and interengaging parts all as defined in claim 1.

8. A safety lock box structure as set forth in claim '7 further characterized in that the slide and operating member for the cover of one chain-l ber may move in an opposite direction to those parts for the other chamber. Y

' ANTHONY LEVERETH.

REFERENCES CITEDV 'Ihe following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Austria Sept. 2,5, 1931 

